


Through a Fog

by Samsamiam



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Reggie Has ADHD (Julie and The Phantoms), kind of the first half is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:06:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27889495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samsamiam/pseuds/Samsamiam
Summary: It’s just a bad day. Reggie can feel it under his skin when he wakes up, his whole face is buzzing and when he gets downstairs the silence is stifling in the way he knows mean his parents just finished a fight and are still in the after phase where they aren’t talking. He’d woken up late and can’t stand being in the house longer than necessary so he walks out without eating breakfast.
Relationships: Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 106





	Through a Fog

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how i feel about this it kind of didn't come out the way i wanted but i also don't really know what i wanted and i'm proud of what came out i think!

It’s just a bad day. Reggie can feel it under his skin when he wakes up, his whole face is buzzing and when he gets downstairs the silence is stifling in the way he knows mean his parents just finished a fight and are still in the after phase where they aren’t talking. He’d woken up late and can’t stand being in the house longer than necessary so he walks out without eating breakfast.

He gets to school and realizes he left his math homework in his room so he has to sit through a lecture on how he could be so smart if he just applied himself. He doesn’t know how to communicate to his teacher that he is applying himself he’s trying so hard he doesn’t _want_ to forget this stuff he just _does._ She threatens to call his parents but he manages to talk her down with a promise to never do it again they both know he won’t keep.

By the time lunch comes around he is practically vibrating. He feels like his head is full of cotton and any time he tries to focus his mind wanders and his vision swims out. He hates days like this, hates that he’s broken in a way no one else seems to be. Then when he gets to the lunch room, he remembers he was out of lunch money and hadn’t had time to ask his parents for more. In his rush to get out the door this morning he had forgot to bring anything so when he slumps into the bench where he eats lunch with Alex, Bobby and Luke have different period, he’s exhausted. Alex seems to be fine keeping up the conversation and Reggie is thankful for that. He already has to spend the entirety of lunch psyching himself to have to focus in the rest of his classes and he knows having to keep up a conversation would make that harder than it already was.

The second half of the day goes somehow worse the first half. He gets to gym it’s tennis which he is awful at and he doesn’t even get why they have to learn it. It also does nothing to calm the buzzing under his skin that physical activity normally does. He goes from gym to English where they are supposed to be reading Macbeth and writing an analysis of the effect the witches have on Macbeth’s fate but he can barely focus enough to read the page let alone process any of what is being said or write a paper on it. By the bell rings he gives it up as a lost cause and shoves the book into his bag.

Finally, he is released from school and he’s so glad to get to go to practice. Playing always makes him feel better, the ability to get lost in the feeling in his chest as the bass reverberates or the way the strings feel under his hands always calms him. He meets Luke, Bobby, and Alex at one of the benches outside. Luke and Bobby are talking up in front but Alex hangs back.

“hey man,” Alex says, softly bumping their shoulders, “You okay? You seem a little off today. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Reggie says with a nod, “I’m just,” he pauses, “Spacey I guess is the best word to describe it.” He shakes his head. “I’ll be fine once practice starts.”  
Alex nods. “I understand. I’m here if you wanna talk though.”

“I know,” Reggie says, giving him a small smile that seems to make him feel a little better.

When they get to practice is when everything really goes to shit. All because he can’t tune his guitar right. He thinks he has it but it sounds off when they start playing.

“Wait sorry,” Reggie says, “I think somethings wrong with my guitar it sounds weird?”

“Just try tuning it again,” Luke says, “Maybe we distracted you while you were tuning so you just didn’t notice.”

Reggie nods and makes some adjustments and when its where he thinks its good, he says, “okay that should be better.”

They start to play again but it still sounds _wrong._ “Wait I’m sorry,” He mutters, stopping play, “It still sounds wrong.” And against everything he can feel frustrated tears swell in his eyes and god why is he so upset.

“Reggie your guitar sounds fine,” Luke says and Reggie can hear the agitation creeping into his voice but it just sounds wrong and he needs it to sound okay.

“I’m sorry,” He say’s his voice cracking. He starts to tune his guitar again with a frantic kind of urgency. He vaguely notices Alex get up from his drum set and circle to the table in front of Reggie to pick up a glass of water.

“Reggie man it’s fine,” Luke snaps.

Reggie doesn’t respond just tries to fix it faster but now he’s messing up and Luke is upset and his vision is blurring. This is such a stupid thing to cry over why is he crying over it?

“Reggie are you crying?” Alex asks and his voice is so soft but all Reggie can hear is anger, that sounds so much like his dad, and so he panics.

“No,” He snaps, turning away and frantically scrubbing his face.

“Reggie what’s wrong?” Alex says stepping into his line of sight again.

“Nothing. ‘m fine,” He insists but his whole body feels hot and he knows his face is flush.

“Reggie did something happen with your parents,” Bobby whispers from beside him.

“Nothing happened! Nothings wrong!” Reggie snaps stepping back.

“Okay,” Bobby says, putting his hands up and taking a step back to give Reggie space.

“It’s stupid I’m being stupid. Let’s just go back to practice,” He snaps.

“Okay,” Luke says, nodding, “Let’s just get back to practice.”

They start and Reggie’s guitar still sounds bad and he doesn’t know what to do. He tries to keep playing but he feels like his skin crawling and he can hear it how can’t they hear it he’s going to scream he hates it why is no one else saying anything. “Jesus!” Reggie yells, “Can you not hear that?”

“Your guitar is fine!” Luke snaps.

“It sounds bad! Something is wrong,” Reggie’s voice cracks, “I can’t tune it right. Why can’t I tune it right?”

“Reggie really it sounds fine to us,” Alex says, “Are you sure something isn’t wrong?”

“I said everything was fine!” He yells, ripping off his guitar and storming out of the garage. The minute he’s out of the garage he begins to pace. He just feels so restless. He is buzzing and no amount of pacing is making it go away. He doesn’t know how long he does that before Alex comes out.

“Hey man,” Alex says.

“Hey. I’m really sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong. I mean nothings wrong and that’s worse. I shouldn’t have snapped and I’m so so sorry,” Reggie says, pausing his pacing but now that he’s been in movement, he’s unable to stop so he bounces on his toes.

“It’s okay,” Alex says, “We all have bad days. I shouldn’t have pushed.”

“You were just trying to help,” Reggie says, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair.

“Hey so sometimes when I get anxious, I do this thing,” Alex says, eyes flicking to where Reggie has begun to pick his nails. “It helps me if you wanna try it.”

“Yeah sure,” Reggie says, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“Okay,” Alex says, nodding, “Just do what I do.” When Reggie nods Alex starts jumping up and down and shaking his hands.

“What are you doing?” Reggie says, “I’m not doing that.”

“Come on Reginald,” Alex says, bouncing over and grabbing him as he jumps.

Reggie scoffs and rolls his eyes but grabs Alex’s arms and starts bouncing with him.

“Great!” Alex says, “Now shake!” he starts aggressively head banging and waving his arms.

Reggie laughs and copies him. When they finally stop, they’re light headed, laughing, and practically leaning on each other to remain standing. They stumble to sit on the step outside the garage. Reggie is surprised to find that the edge is gone. He still feels a little foggy but his skin no longer feels like it’s buzzing and he doesn’t feel like he’s seconds from snapping at the nearest thing to inconvenience him.

“Thanks man,” Reggie says, “that really helped.” He wraps his arm around Alex’s shoulder.

“Any time,” Alex says leaning his head on Reggie’s, “I’m just glad I could help.”

“Is Luke mad?” Reggie asks.

“Luke is being Luke,” Alex says, “Don’t worry about him.”

“It stresses him out when we can’t practice enough,” Reggie says.

“Yeah but you’re more important than practice,” Alex says.

Reggie rolls his eyes and shoves Alex’s head. “I know but we should probably go back in there.”

“Ready when you are,” Alex says, jumping up and holding his arm out to pull Reggie up.

“Let’s go,” he says, pulling open the doors to the garage.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it! Comments and Kudos are appreciated!


End file.
